Liechtenstein Olympic Committee (LOC) vice-president Stefan Marx and chief executive Alex Hermann joined EYOF Organising Committee President Peter Mennel and its chief executive Philipp Groborsch to pay a visit to Prince Alois at Vaduz Castle a month out from the Festival in order to formally invite him to the event.

"We are very excited about your commitment to be at the Opening Ceremony where you will officially open together with the Austrian Federal President, this European Youth Olympic Festival," said Marx as he thanked Prince Alois.

The Opening Ceremony of the EYOF is due to take place in the Montafon Nordic Centre in Tschagguns on January 25.

The Festival is then scheduled to run until January 30 in Vorarlberg and Liechtenstein.

Representatives from the Liechtenstein Olympic Committee and EYOF Organising Committee paid a visit to Prince Alois at Vaduz Castle to give him his VIP ticket
©Getty Images



Founded by the former International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge, the first EYOF took place in the summer of 1991 in Brussels.

Since then, there have been a further 22 editions - 11 in the summer and 11 in the winter.

The first winter edition was held in the Italian region of Aosta Valley in 1993, while the most recent edition was held in Brasov, Romania, in February 2013.

The 2015 edition will mark the first time an Olympic event has been jointly hosted by two countries.

Around 950 young athletes, aged between 15 and 18 years, from a total of 45 European countries are expected in Vorarlberg and Liechtenstein.

A total of 28 competitions across eight sports - Alpine skiing, biathlon, cross country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping and snowboarding - are on the programme.

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